


Past flaws, present claws

by Sandentwins



Category: Inspector Gadget - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Serious Injuries, Smut, This is a bunch of "what if" headcanons so don't judge me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-03
Updated: 2015-04-04
Packaged: 2018-02-19 17:56:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2397524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandentwins/pseuds/Sandentwins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Gadget receives the mission to confront Doctor Claw face-to-face, things turn out to be way different from what he had pictured... Follows a forbidden, yet so awaited relation between two archenemies, and a series of horrendous revelations.<br/>What really happened after Sanford Scolex's arrest? What is that concealed secret about Penny and how she got her Computer Book? And especially, who <i>really</i> hides behind the mask of Dr Claw?<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. What lies underneath the mask

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The following fanfiction takes every piece of canon apart and chews it into a nasty mash, to spit it out into a bowl of headcanons and theories, stir it up, twenty minutes at 200°C and here you go, delicious crappy fanficake. You have been warned, so...bon appétit.

Night was falling on the ebony towers, covering everything in sight with a veil of pitch darkness. From the far horizon, thunder was cracking, roaring like a thousand felines in a devil's opera. Outside the large room, there was nothing to see but the farlands, silent in this September night. No stars in the foggy sky, no rain to be seen, but only lightnings, tearing the clouds apart like vulgar pieces of fabric. Next to the fire, sole light source in the black, Madcat was licking her paws with a long-used care, without the guts to glance at her master, who hadn't said a word for hours.  
Everyone who had known Dr Claw long enough knew it was a very bad idea to disturb him during his daydreaming. His chair facing the window, face revealed to the world, he would stare off in the distance for who knows how long, without saying a word. Maybe because his collar, a mechanical replacement of his damaged vocal cords, would then be taken off, letting Claw in the vastest mutism ever imaginable. For how long did he have to hide himself from the world? No one knew the answer. But down there, among M.A.D members, whispers were heard. Many were talking about what happened years ago, the horrible accident of their feared leader...and all the things that happened next.  
Someone suddenly knocked at the door. Surprised, Claw put his collar back on, and hid the resulting pained face in his hood.

"Come in.", the grave voice said.

It was one of his most trusted henchmen, who feared he had interrupted his master's meditation-like state.

"Boss, the target will be there soon. It's a matter of minutes."

"-Well done. Make sure our guest does as planned. We wouldn't want our dear Gadget to get lost."

He knocked his head with a "Yes, boss", and left the room. Once sure he was gone, Claw took off his hood.  
A symbol of shame. Some talented criminals among those who knew the truth, have proposed to craft a better-looking mask, but Claw had denied their offers. To hide his face, his disgusting deformity, there couldn't be anything more suited than a shameful, ridiculous piece of leather, that could only let his jaw seen. It was part of the deal.  
An engine was heard from far outside, breaking through the thunder. He was coming closer, as seconds were dying and minutes were fading away. Dr Claw retrieved the gun from his desk. A black and red revolver, with the stylized cat head on the cross. One bullet, one shot, one target. This time, there would be no escape for the dear inspector. No crazy plan, no more complex traps, no more funds thrown by the windows. Tonight, Gadget would meet his end, by a simple trick. Claw turned to the back wall, were a portrait was hung in the darkest corners. A dark man, with a missing hand. He remembered his last words, filled with hatred and jealousy, and the promise that followed.

_"Never forget, my dear...Gadget did this to me. It's justice that you do the same to him."_

_"-But...what if I fail?", Claw had answered, back then with his real voice._

_"-You won't. You were meant for this. Now, promise you're never gonna fail."_

_"-...I promise."_

Madcat went sitting on her master's shoulder. It was about time now. Dr Claw sighed deeply, before standing up, not without some difficulty; the paralysis was taking control of his legs, day after day. Downstairs, there were voices, breaking noises, and the sound of various gadgets. He was here. Madcat nuzzled the Doctor 's neck, with an interrogative purr.

"For nothing in the world I would let my enemy see what lies underneath.", he replied.

Footsteps approached. Dr Claw faced the door, revolver in hand. He would not let his chance escape, this time. It was now a matter of seconds before the final act could start, and end as abruptly. He would have his revenge, once for all, and maybe even get a hold of these gadgets, as interesting they seemed...

"Go-go-gadget key!", a voice called out.

The door flickered, before slamming open. The enemy. Claw rose his hand, aiming right at the head, ready to pull the trigger.

"Hello, sir.", Gadget greeted naively. "Have you seen the Dr Claw around? I've heard he would be attending an evil congress-"

"Enough!", the mechanical voice shouted out. "Enough of your mind tricks, Gadget! Tonight, you're gonna pay!"

But curse Gadget and his legendary misunderstanding.

"Wowsers! Is that a gun you have there? Be careful, you could injury someone! Here, let me take care of this."

Before Claw could even react, a gadget hand took the revolver off Claw's hands, and store it in the hat. The M.A.D leader stayed shocked: what was the meaning of this!? He shook his head, trying to grab anything useful as a weapon...

"May I ask what is with that hood on your head? You must have troubles seeing. Let me help you."

"-NO! Stay away from..."

But it was too late: the hood, only rempart between Claw's face and the eyes of the world, taken off by a mechanic hand, fell back into a lump of fabric.

Paralyzed by the sudden offense, Claw hadn't moved the slightest. Why bother hiding now? He could put it back on...but it was too late. The failure was done. At the sight of Claw's visage, Gadget couldn't hold back a strange mimick, half-shocked and disgusted, half-interrogative.

"Wh...what happened to you..."

_Don't you dare saying it._

"...miss?"

Thunder cracked. 

_Dammit._

Dr Claw sighed, with a deep artificial voice matching her face, an horrible sight for those unaccoutumed. Most of the skin was burnt, peeled off in parts, with hastly-sewn scars. The left eye was missing, covered by some bandages. The nose and ears were reduced to gross pieces of flesh, and the short dark hair was either patchy or burnt. But under the injuries, feminine traits were indeed present.  
Not even Madcat could hold a shiver of fear when seeing this hateful face.

"I don't have time to answer your stupid questions, Gadget. You're here to- ...what's with that smile?"

The Inspector was _smiling_. And, worst of all, he was hiding a muffled laugh.

"What!", Claw raged. "What now?"

"-Sorry, miss... It's just...your voice sounds ridiculously manly for a charming woman such as you. Now, if you excuse me, I yet have to find the Dr-"

Metal-gloved hands suddenly crushed his robotic neck, tightening their grip and violently shaking the confused inspector as Claw was shouting uncomprehensible words of rage at Gadget's face. Why, why in the world had her archenemy to be so stupid, so naive, so dumb? And most of all, why did _that one_ got all the precious technology embedded in his pathetic, miserable cop body? She was yelling, screaming her rage far beyond the limits of her vocal collar. Madcat ran to hide between shelves, as her master suddenly threw Gadget's body on the ground. The cyborg tried to stand up, dizzy from the damage, but a metallic boot forced against his chest forbade him to.

"You're not going anywhere this time, Gadget. You're going to pay for everything you've done!"

With a twist of her spiky bracelets, she drew her cat claws, ready to tear his skin open and see whether there were gears or guts inside. She rose her arm, aiming for the eyes. Finally, her revenge, everything she had ever wished for years, it was right here at her reach. All she needed was a quick and deadly dangerous move...that never happened.  
Wait, it was so silly. Why would the Inspector Gadget, most talented cop in the world, with all of his arsenal, not react at all, why wouldn't he do anything? He was still conscious, even if quite shaken from the attempted strangulation. Of course, Claw knew he wasn't very brillant; she had guessed for long the young Penny was the one behind M.A.D's failures all along. But...there was something else. And as dumb as it sounded, Claw spoke it out.

"...aren't you going to defend yourself, or something?"

That question was ridiculous, but it was a final battle! It could certainly not end so easily. Not after all these years, spent in the shadow trying new methods and ending schemes...

"Why would I?", Gadget quietly said, with a different tone as usual.

These words left Dr Claw completly stunned, at a point she dropped her arm.

"But...I'm going to kill you, remember? I, the Dr Claw, the evil enemy! Your enemy!"

"-I know who you are. Why, did you think I am dumb enough not to recognize your voice, your cat, your hands?"

He carefully displaced the foot pressing his lungs, setting it aside in the most casual way, before standing up. He was quite taller than Claw, forcing her to look up on him.

"It may sound idiot to you, but there are times I fully understand what is going on. My idiot human brain gets overwritten by the artificial intelligence from time to time, and that's when I can see everything as it is."

Claw blinked with her valid eye. Was that even possible? Gadget, being _actually intelligent_? Well, it was explaining some things.

"You have talked about 'everything I have done'. The fact is, I never got what you wanted me to pay for. I know this isn't just some 'bad guy/good guy' matters. You want my death, clearly and simply. Sometimes I think you're doing evil plans only to trick me in."

His face got closer to Claw's, an unknown new light in his bionic eyes.

"Am I right?"

She didn't know what to do, or to say. Gadget had simply disarmed her. Never she would have pictured such a situation to happen...but yet, it was the case. Out of arguments, she nodded, sitting back on her throne, tired from all of this. She wanted to hide in her bed and forget all of this. Dammit.  
She turned to the portrait, head buried in her hands, mentally asking what to do now. This wasn't going right at all. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. She felt ashamed. Ashamed that her rival had seen her real face, had her taking her guard down, showing her weakest state...

"I...I know him", he suddenly said. "That man...I've met him before, I swear."

He had followed her glance, now looking at the picture. That face...it seemed so familiar to him...but where and when did he ever met him?  
Then his eyes laid upon the missing hand, and the mechanical claw replacing it. Gadget shivered.

"C...could it be..."

"So you know him.", Claw responded. "The first to have called himself Doctor Claw...and my father."

"-But...that's impossible...he's in prison since..."

"-The car accident that made you the Inspector Gadget? Oh, please. Did you seriously think he wouldn't escape? Did you think he wouldn't want to have his revenge over you, and those who wanted him gone? M.A.D was his creation, his child way before me. But...life is hard when one of your hands starts rusting, being stuck to your arm as a failed experiment, sickening your whole body. The poor man had, at best, some years to live. When his last days arrived, he made me promise to succeed where he had failed. I...I couldn't refuse his last vow, as I thought I had nothing to lose, ruling over his...criminal empire."

"-But...what happened to you? Don't tell me you were like this before...did you?"

"-Being evil is a whole matter. I was inexperienced at the time. And running away from danger when your underground base is about to explode..."

The inspector swallowed hardly.

"I'm dying from inside. To survive I would need horribly expensive surgery, and that's why I keep doing criminal activities. As long as my condition permits it, I will honour my father's wish, and do my best to eradicate you for good. Afterall, you...you made me like this."

She was losing control of her emotions, and now she was saying everything. How pathetic it was from a criminal genius such as her! Or rather, such as Dr Claw. If her eyes were still intact, she would be crying. But her tears were gone for good, now.  
Gadget was standing silently, not speaking a world, listening to the story of this tortured mind. Never he would have imagined such a dilemma to be possible, and certainly not from the public enemy #1. But letting himself get killed wasn't the best option either.  
Slowly, he walked to the doctor. What he wanted to do was indeed stupid, from what his processors were saying. But his human brain was telling him to show kindness, if not pity. Without much thinking, he took her in his arms.  
It was so wrong on so many levels, but humankind is so unpredictable. Claw made a disgusted noise, drawing her metal claws, but the sudden and unknown touch made her feel weird. In a good way. Her own arms, which scars were hidden by the black vest, wrapped around her enemy's body. Oh, how wrong it was, so wrong! What would her father be thinking? How would he react, seeing his only daughter embracing with the one who took his hand, his life, her life?

"Listen.", he said, all of a sudden. "What you did was unforgivable. You tried to kill me, to kidnap almost everyone who was worth the price, to steal Metrocity's money, all of this for your selfish needs."

Dr Claw tried not to face him, as he was enumerating all of her past errors.

"But I always have managed to stop you, so in fact, you never did anything much successful. But at the same time, I never got to catch you. So...it's a stalemate, right?"

"-Guess so."

All of a sudden, she violently pushed him back.

"Fuck off, afterall. Not like if I needed your pity!"

Her valid eye glared at him threateningly. Why wasn't she trying to kill him already? Some lethal scratches and it was done. We don't care about the cliché, he had to die!

"I have so much desire to kill you right now, you can't imagine."

"-Then why don't you do something?", he asked.

"-That's the problem! You fool, I can kill anyone at any time I want."

Almost pouting, she added:

"Just...I'm not in mood for killing people right now. You killed it. Insert here a period joke or whatever, all I want now is to go to bed and watch an horror movie. I'm disgusted now."

Dr Claw set her vest aside, sitting down on her chair, tired. Her body seemed as broken as her face. Her spine seemed to draw a twisted line, as painful to bear as to watch. She didn't have much cleavage, as her breasts have been partially taken off to let the artificial lungs exist. The M.A.D shirt, with the metal gloves made her look like a harmless fangirl. But still, even the destruction of her body didn't erase her curves. She would have been quite a beauty if her life didn't went that way. Madcat sat on her lap, receiving an iron stroke. These two were really lookalike, in some way.

"I'm not gonna lie, it's boring to be stuck in this tower. Look at my face, who do you think would want to meet me? My condition forbids every physical change. Means no working out, not too much standing up activities, just sit down in my chair and let other do the work."

She sighed. Somehow, Gadget knew she wasn't faking this sadness.

"But hey, no one has ever seen me in the outside world, so I can sometimes put on regular clothes and have a walk outside. People take me for a war veteran, with all these...scars."

She looked through the window, petting her cat distractely. Gadget felt unsure about what he was seeing: was that really the same Dr Claw that had tried to kill him over and over? Could such evil be contained in this calm, thoughtful person? Even the artificial voice had changed, going from scary and deep to light and still scary. Gadget made a step forward, then another, and so until he found himself next his archenemy, who had lost all interest in him. Her black eye didn't bother looking at him, only at the moon out there. Her breath was weak, an unaudible wheeze altered by the vocal collar, filtering by her scarred lips. Without knowing the reasons why, he joined these lips to his'.  
It didn't felt good nor bad. It was...weird, indeed. But she didn't react, and sighed instead, too tired to raise an arm and push him back. Madcat tippawed away, shocked by her master's sudden behavior. Slowly, the latter rose an arm and pulled the Inspector closer, barely reacting to the touch. Indeed there was something wrong with her, something unacceptable. And this something was called feelings. Weak and unsure, but feelings of empathy.

"I used to thought they had taken my human heart away.", Gadget muttered after their kiss had ended.

"-Pffft, don't tell me you've got a crush already. Even if we're archenemies, we barely know each other."

They stayed silent for long instants, not knowing what to do. Were cases like these even possible? How would you react after discovering you were attracted to your worst enemy? Claw leaned against the back of her chair, thinking nothing, only closing her eye and letting the night breeze refresh her face.

"It could have been possible in an alternate universe.", she said after a long minute of silence. "Where you aren't a robotic cop and where I'm not a criminal genius. Where we could both have our bodies back as they were. But look at us now. A cyborg and a patchwork."

She smirked, revealing a golden canine.

"Opposites but almost the same. Maybe the universe wanted us to meet, afterall."

He sat next on the floor to her, and looked at the stars outside. For some time, it felt like peace. His gadget-hand popped out of his hat, and landed on Claw's, who held it without a word. Her blushing cheeks told what her mouth didn't (or was it just a second-degree burn?), but for the first time in years, her mind was at peace. Of course, she would never give up on being Dr Claw, trying to kill Gadget as she had promised...but it would be for next time.

"Did you always picture me as a man?", Claw asked suddenly. "Most of the people I hire did."

The Inspector bit his lip.

"Well...your voice isn't very womanly either. But, to be honest, I haven't much tried to imagine what evil itself looked like. I know many of my coworkers did, and their headcanons were worth each other."

"-Admit you never thought of the possibility."

"-Afterall, you were only a hand to me. To everyone else."

"-The same way you were a dick to me?"

Both of them chuckled. One would say that once their matters set aside, they weren't so different from each other, afterall. Claw grinned, with a good intention that her face twisted into a distorted, creepy smile. Still, with all the spikes taken off, she seemed...almost pretty. Suddenly, her eye lit up, glaring at the Inspector with something strange in her stare. She stood up, not letting go of the gadget-hand.  
Before Gadget could ask where she was going, he felt himself dragged upwards, his face crushed against Claw's, their lips meeting once again. This time, it was way rougher, almost violent, and completely unexpected, especially after that cute moment. He could barely breathe under the assaults of Claw's kisses, who seemed to have become as wicked as the evil mastermind of her mask. Gadget's words were held in his throat, as his mouth couldn't get freed from his rival's lips.  
Without knowing how, he ended thrown onto a large bed, his coat and hat taken off, and Claw still above him, with an undeniable lust in her eye.

"You called me a charming woman, I want to get a revenge for what you've done, but can't bring myself to kill you. Let's have some fun.", she declared.

Gadget swallowed hardly, but hadn't much choice. As the iron hands kept undressing him, he wondered whether this was a good idea or not. And this time, both AI and human mind told him it wasn't good at all. But nonetheless, he didn't react to the cold strokes, afraid of being scratched to the bone.

"I hope you're fine with that, dumbhat.", she said, between two raging kisses on the neck.

"-As long as it isn't- wowsers! Please don't do that!"

Claw stopped herself from biting the metallic skin that covered Gadget's neck. Instead, her hands creeped down his pants, stroking the forming bulge in his underwear.

"I may be a little dusty", she joked, "but I have some tricks up my claws."

She took her shirt off, revealing the patchwork of flesh and implants her body was.

"Now let's see what you can do with these gadget-hands."

\---

None of them had ever lived something this amazing before. They were feeling alive for the first time in years, taking back control of their unnatural bodies. The heat of their intercourse had only made their hateful desire stronger, and by the end of the night, their gestures were made more of attack and hurting than any kind of love. Of course, there wasn't a single ounce of love whatsoever between them, but one wouldn't say it was empty of any feelings. Harsh and brutal at first, Claw led the way for both of them, even if she hadn't got that much experience. Her life having taken an evil turn quite early, she never had any mates. But soon after they got a hold of each other's sensible points, they tried not to hurt themselves, despite the randomly-activating gadgets and the claws, and make it a rather pleasant time. Despite her pitiful condition, she had the moves, the sensuality of a wildcat. Her burnt skin was incredibly sensitive, and with some light strokes she was already shivering in pleasure. As a half-robot, Gadget couldn't really feel the same, but he had to admit that Claw and his' hips slamming, her lips on his face and the scratches on his back, were giving him nice feelings. More than once he moaned he loved her, even if she was a criminal. More than once she didn't reply. But he knew that, under her mask of deformity and self-control, she was enjoying it as much as him, if not even more. Until the last second, when he finished showing her all the potential of his underbelt gadgets, his mind stayed blank from any thoughts. Claw and himself, was everything he has been thinking about, along with how many hands he could use at once to embrace her, bring her closer, and finally, get her to open her heart to him.

"...think I like you.", she muttered between two moans, and it was all it took him to make her have the best orgasm ever.

They didn't have any idea of how long it had lasted, but at the end, when both of them fell onto the bed, sweating and breathing hardly, they were much satisfied. Claw's plan of humiliating Gadget purely and simply wasn't that much of a success...but again, the revenge would be for next time. For the moment, she was enjoying the afterglow, the Inspector's head on her breast, eye blissfully wandering in the void. Of all the people on Earth, the one who had to show her how to make love was _him_.  
For some reason, she was okay with this.

\---

When he woke up, Gadget found himself in his own bed, sun already up. He drowsily shook his head, trying to recall what had happened. The bitemarks on his neck and chest told him it hadn't been a dream, and as silly and shameful as it seemed, there had been something between Dr Claw and him. Something that hopefully no one would believe.  
His hat had fallen down his bed; when he fetched it, a note fell off.

"Next time, Gadget. I'll have you next time, and I promise you won't get away then!  
-Dr Claw

P.S: Wanna come over next week? I won't kill you. (but I'll try!)"

He smiled to himself. Next week ought to be fun.


	2. Sapphires and secrets for the days to come

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaaand here we go for chapters of absolute outofcharacterness.  
> Does that really count as genderbent? That'd be silly.

She fell on the bed, exhausted but happy. Today has been a rough day, trying out another complicated plan to find some other ancient artifact and sell it, of course brought to failure by the Inspector. Curiously, she didn't mind at all, as they had the chance to see each other once again. It has been very quick, only the time required for a little kiss, sweet words and a failed killing attempt, but it had felt like a deserved break, after playing the tiring role of Dr Claw during the whole operation. Her vocal catcollar was draining her forces, making her almost unable to speak when standing. This technology was not very accurate, but had permitted her to talk for years. The cavernous voice was not the most ideal to whisper lovebirdy words, but with some tweakening, she had added a new softer voice.   
For the moment, the collar was put on the nighttable, allowing Claw to breathe easier. Next to her, Madcat was curled up in a ball, ligthly purring, getting stroked by a metal glove.

"Prrrr..."

Over the years spent with this silly cat, Claw had learnt most of its language, and in return, taught it some of hers.

"That's leading you nowhere.", the cat was saying.

"-I'd see you at my place.", Claw replied, without the need nor the means to talk.

"-Stop being all romantic and stuff. Especially with Gadget, the one you're supposed to kill."

"-I...I'm not romantic or anything! All I want is to have some fun time. I'm the one who commands here, and that counts for him as well."

"-Is this a second-degree burn or a blush on your cheek? Master, you have to put it to an end. What would the others say?"

"-Where did you learn to talk like my father? You can't tell me what to do. I'm Dr Claw and I've got all the rights, remember?"

"-You also had all the time to think about how to kill him."

That last remark had Madcat knocked out. Claw wasn't in mood for sermoning. She took off her vest and metal boots, and headed to bed, tired and grumpy. Even evil doctors needed to sleep. Her infirmities were sometimes less painful, allowing her to have some rest.   
Her mind wandered as she drifted off to sleep, thinking about the past. She missed her family, but hadn't the guts to return and confront her mother. Maybe she should get another cat? No, Madcat would get jealous. Fluffy had given her quite bad resentment about other felines.  
As she thought of various things, the image of Gadget made its way through her mind. She thought about how their last meetings have been, and how Claw found that part of herself she believed she had discarded. That young woman, charmed by almost everybody she saw, naive and romantic. Her heart had been crushed several times back then, and some of the pieces got lost forever. That's part of why she decided to become Dr Claw: no one would ever dare to hurt her anymore. Except for that one idiot.  
As she thought about him, one of her hands trailed down her body. Her many scars were still sensitive, and a well-placed stroke made her shiver. She pictured his hands instead, going across her whole body, pulling her clothes away as she caressed herself. A metal glove travelled down to her inner thigh, where her fingers made their way into her heat. She closed her eye, and gave in to the pleasure. As her muscles clenched around her steel fingers, she realized that never, she had cared about herself that way. But then, Gadget had made her know she wasn't a lost cause. Away from human contact, she had neglected her own well-being, until now. She twisted her fingers, touching the spot where the nerves were more dense, breathing faster. It all reminded her of this amazing night she had lived, when the answer came out: there would always be someone to love her, now matter of how broken she is.   
Once her fingers stiff with fluids, she found her mind at peace. Her blush hidden by a second-degree burn, she snuggled in between the blankets, curled up like a cat, sighing of delight.  
And yet she had to kill him.

\---

"Where were you all night, Uncle Gadget?", Penny asked between two spoons of cornflakes. "You had me worried."

He didn't reply at first, checking his gadgets like every month. For some reason, he was more light-headed than usual, even if that was a level hard to get to.

"Hmm? Did you say something, Penny?", he suddenly asked.

She sighed, but was used to this behavior. Although there was something strange in all of this, she could tell.   
Eight hours ticked on the clock. Penny took her schoolbag, kissed her uncle on the cheek, and walked to the schoolbus. Brain followed her, guessing there would be a new mission for him.

"Listen, Brain. You have to watch over Uncle Gadget. Make sure he doesn't do anything dangerous!"

"-Rrruff!"

She smiled. Between two classes, she took her Computer Book, and checked the databases.  
She always has been able to do anything she wanted with this apparatus. Hack the safest computers in the world, talk with dolphins, analyze metals, transfer money from locked accounts to another, move space stations, control her uncle's gadgets, and all sorts of things even a professional hacker wouldn't know how to do, all without any instructions manual. And yet she was only eight. But every time she had this book in her hands, she had the feeling that nothing was impossible. 

"According to the Gadgetmobile's GPS tracker, Uncle Gadget indeed went to M.A.D's hideout...and stayed there for several hours, only to come in the early morning today. The question is, what did he do there that needed so much time?"

She couldn't find the answer, as the bell rang. But Penny, as dutiful as she was, would search for the answer as soon as possible. 

\---

Gadget folded back his hands. Everything was clear from any problems, except some loose bolts here and there. But with a regular care, his mechanics would last way longer. He played with his fingers, twisting them, reaching out to the ceiling, to verify every joint.

"Havin' fun?"

He suddenly turned around, surprised, but not as much as when he saw who talked.

"C...Claw? What in the world are you doing there?"

She grinned with her twisted smile, standing from the chair she's been leaning on.

"Just a courtesy visit. Nothing much, really."

"-H...how did you pass the security system? And how come I didn't hear anything?"

"-I have my tricks. And you're so distracted I could make a bomb explode right before you, you wouldn't hear anything."

She sneezed, and sat next to him on the couch, legs folded back between her arms.

"What are you doing, today?"

Even if he knew she didn't come to kill him, her face and voice gave him the chills. The way she was staring with her only eye could make anyone uncomfortable, if not feeling dominated. 

"Just...checking my gadgets...", he hesitated.

"-You do have a complex system under that coat, right?"

Admirative whistle, another sneeze.

"But I guess you can't even use them properly. One time out of two, you sort the wrong one."

"-I think my AI gets over my brain sometimes...as when I'm with you."

"-Heh...what would happen if that was the opposite?"

The moment she asked, she saw the slight bionic light leave Gadget's eyes. The next second, his little smile was back.

"Hello, miss. Have you seen my hat? I have misplaced it."

"-On your head, goofball.", she sighed, before giving him a kiss on the lips.

That seemed to put his ideas back in place. He backed away, blinking and wondering what he was doing. 

"Seems that...I can make you intelligent, for once.", Claw smiled, before sneezing again ("You got a dog around there?").

Suddenly, the Secret Gadgetphone rang.

"And you're gonna need it."

The time needed to answer the call, she had disappeared. Wowsers, what a woman.  
Brain appeared from under the chair he's been hiding, watching the scene. 

"Oh, hi Brain. Where were you? I could have introduced you to my friend."

But the smell of cat and blood, along with the scary voice, couldn't lie: Dr Claw was there, chatting with Gadget. 

\--- 

"You sure of that?", Penny asked.

There was no way that the rival of her uncle, the one who had wanted to kill him for so long, could have been there in their living room, chatting peacefully with Uncle Gadget! Every time Penny had asked herself whether it was possible or not, the answer had been no. It couldn't be! Why would Dr Claw part from his mischievious activities to have tea with the one he desired to eradicate from the surface of the Earth?  
Maybe a break could be possible, afterall?  
No, there couldn't be any way this could happen. 

"That would explain why he had spent most of the night at Claw's...", she thought to herself. "But again, why? Why so suddenly?"

In her mind, in an isolated corner of her thinking process, an answer popped out. But she rejected it as soon as it came.

"No way they could ever be friends...right?"

\---

"Congratulations, Gadget!", Quimby greeted. "I don't know how you did, but you have stopped M.A.D once again!"

"-The fact is, I don't even know myself. But Inspector Gadget is always on the case!"

The sapphire statuette, stolen from a museum and said to unlock a great treasure, has been taken safe by Quimby's crew, after Gadget had tripped over the opening mechanism of the treasure's chamber and received all the greetings.   
Hidden in the nearby lake, Dr Claw was watching the scene from the Madmobile's cameras. She sighed, knocking her fists on the dashboard. The money she could have made with this plan would have paid for her lung surgery, but again, it has failed. 

"...get you next time, Gadget...", she grumbled between two raging bangs on the seats. "Next...time!"

She crushed the accelerator under her foot, waterdriving like a maniac to get out of this place. Her mind was full of rage right now, she couldn't even think clearly. But that one stupid inspector, the target of her hate, was omnipresent in her head. She would even give her remaining eye to see him finally destr...wait that would be impossible then, since she wouldn't have any eyes left.   
At that thought, Claw grinned. Never she could have made fun of her handicaps before, as terrible they were. Here again, Gadget didn't only brought bad things into her life.   
A few hours later, she was back "home". The cryptic and high-perched castle was an old childhood fantasm about being a villain, inherited from some grand-uncle. Needless to say, it was quite cold in the winter, and wifi reception wasn't very good.

"Good evening, boss.", one of her henchmen greeted her as she sat on her chair, with some difficulty. "I...er...the guys and I are sorry about-"

"-So, failed once again, right?", she growled. "You were right about to have that damn statue, and all the jewels that went with it! What is wrong with you and your incompetence?"

She stared at him right in the eyes. As she hadn't got any spare paperbag to hide the fact she was a woman, she had to keep her crew under control, as to avoid any comments. Little did she knew, that point didn't matter, as many M.A.D agents had already guessed it.

"I wonder why I even put up with you idiots. Now get out of my sight and hurry up. I want a new plan for yesterday morning. And warm milk for Madcat and I."

He knocked his head, and fleed hastly. Claw knew it wasn't very nice to treat people that way, but evil's evil. Madcat climbed on her knee, hoping to get a stroke.

"Seems that we're back here again.", Claw sighed, petting her cat negligently. "Wonder what is going to happen next."

"-Meoow."

Suddenly, her computer bipped, surprising her. It was an email.  
From him.

"Hello miss Claw! I was wondering, what are you doing this evening? I'm sorry about your last plan, but trying to steal ancient Aztec treasures wasn't very nice of you!   
Penny isn't home tonight. Come over and have a coffee, if you're not busy being pretty.  
-G."

She hid her blushing cheeks under a second-degree burn. Did...did Gadget just _invited her?_ What was wrong with this guy? She rushed to select "Reply".

"Dear enemy of mine,  
It isn't without a laugh I'll be glad to come at your location, since you want me to put a term to your miserable life for good.  
Did you really think you could expect me to"

She stopped. Afterall, if trying to destroy Gadget was her job, then this invitation sounded like a lunch time, and no one would miss their lunch time. Also, that meeting could be useful for later. She erased the message and rewrote it.

"Dear Gadget,  
Afterall, we all need a break sometimes. So, why not? Let's have a caffeinated beverage and talk about things. Expect me around 8pm.   
-Dr Claw

PS: Keep your dog away please. Allergy."

She hesitated before pressing "Send" button. How would it help her in any way, having a drink with her worst enemy? Behind her, the framed stare of Sanford Claw was aiming at her, as she returned the glance.

"Don't worry, Dad...", she muttered. "I'll make sure he doesn't stay alive much longer...I promised you, afterall."

She stared at her computer screen for who knows how long, fearing the consequences. Of course, there have been things between Gadget and her, and very naughty things indeed (she was still shivering of delight when thinking about it), but that was supposed to be a night-only stand, not the beginning of a long-term relation! But yet again, she wanted it to continue, even if she wouldn't acknowledge it.

"Help me out, Madcat, would you?"

The cat nodded, and pressed "Send".  
Claw felt a weight lifted off from her mind. At this moment, the agent from earlier came back with two cups of warm milk.

"Thanks, Phil. Also, sorry about earlier. That wasn't you guys' fault."

He rose an eyebrow, surprised his boss remembered his name.

"By the way", she added, "go find me some casual clothing. Got some plans for tonight."

Madcat swiped her tail. That was going to be fun.


	3. There's no thing such as monsters

"Mhhhmmg...just lemme sleep..."

"-Come on, you know you shouldn't!"

"-But it's so warm in there...and I'm tired..."

Gadget sighed, and wrapped an arm around his rival. Afterall, he wasn't against some company, late in the evening...but letting Claw stay the night was kind of dangerous, especially if Penny was home. Despite her intelligence, she had the mind of a child, and could be scared of a noise or shadows outside, and come hiding in her uncle's arms...which were currently embracing the most dangerous criminal ever.

"You know you can't stay here, do you?", he tried. "I was fine with you coming over and having a hug, but now that's becoming a little too much, don't you think?"

She glared at him, half-asleep. Their evening had been quite friendly, if not lovely, but Claw had asked Gadget if she could sleep with him tonight. Not even sexually talking; just sleeping in his arms. Under the pretext of "I've never done this before because I'm rejected from everywhere", he had to comply, even if he was opposed to the idea; if anyone was to hear about it, it would be the end of his career in the police. Claw meddled with her collar, and took it off, putting it on the night table. The mechanism of this vocal synthetisor had left more than one scientist perplex, even though it would need a little wash. Claw seemed to breathe easier now, as she put her head on Gadget's shoulder, wheezing lightly. 

"Don't make it too regular.", he said. "That's for tonight only."

She nodded. The Inspector embraced her, after having reduced his neck to the shortest possible, as to avoid any attempt of surprise strangulation. He was putting himself in really dangerous situations, putting his life and career at risk, all because of a girl's pretty eyes. Well, not any random girl either, and maybe not just for her eye.  
His' started to feel heavy...and afterall, resting in warm arms was unknown to him as well...

"Uncle Gadget!"

Claw jolted out. The sound of Penny's footsteps was coming closer; the Doctor grabbed her vest, threw her feet into her boots, kissed Gadget a last time and jumped through the window, despite her half-paralyzed legs. One second later, Penny entered the bedroom, hiding in her uncle's arms.

"Aw, dear, tell me, what's wrong?", Gadget asked.

"-There's...noise from under my bed!", the little girl replied, scared.

"-Wait till I get to find it and send it away."

Away from Claw's presence, and the potential threat it represented, Gadget's digital mind process was wearing away, letting the carefree human brain back in command. Not that his feelings toward the feline criminal were strictly ruled by databases and lines of code...even if it was close to the truth.  
Afterall, being attracted to danger had become quite logical now.

\---

"There's no monster in there, I made sure of it."

The actual state of the bedroom, messed up and partially covered in foam, proved it has been indeed "checked up".

"Sleep well, Penny.", he said before leaving.

She sighed, smirked, and sat on the foamy matress.

"So, Brain, did you find anything?", she asked as soon as he entered. 

The dog nodded. The distraction has been long enough for him to search for any clues about Gadget's strange recent behavior, and to find them. Penny hated to play the role of the scared little kid, but sometimes being a child detective had its flaws.  
Brain put the evidence on her knees: a golden leather collar, equipped with strange technology and covered in stains. Penny took her Computer Book from under her pillow, and let her innate skills do the rest. Brain backed away in a corner, having seen her do before, never without being scared.  
Penny's eyes seemed to lit up as her fingers connected to the device. Adrenaline rushed to her head, her body muscles clenched. Her mind widened to all sorts of possibilities, as if directly wired to all sorts of programs and databases. She was ready. Breathing in, she began the investigation.

Analyzing of mechanism in process...   
Results: Vocal synthetizor of advanced system. Medical research prototype. Only ten models crafted in the whole world, on demand, mostly for military officers. Made to speak in case of grave throat injury. No register of recent acquisition.  
Searching for profiles of known owners...  
Standard pet collar, synthetic leather, cat model, large size. Brand found in most pet shops. Awful metallic spikes added afterwards. Seems to be brass.  
Note: presence of various stains.  
Analyzing stains on inner side... Results: Blood, skin cells.   
DNA decoding: In process.  
Note: Strange engraved inscription on the side.   
Decrypting: In process.  
DNA decoding: Done.   
Results: no official data match. Profile found: European type, female, 1,87m tall, aged between twenty and thirty years old seeing the blood composition.  
Face reconstruction: In process.  
Decryption: Done. Vijaya font, pyroengraved. Reads: "M.A.D.die".  
Searching for links between M.A.D_Organization and received death threats...  
Results: None.  
Face reconstruction: Done. Reddish hair, black eyes, sharp face. Abnormally pointy canines.  
Comparing to known owners' profiles...  
Results: No match found.   
Searching for police files match...  
Note: seeing brand of collar, lacks any notion of fashion sense.  
Possible matches found: Marylin_Claw (Metro City's Police Department); Sanford_Scolex (Riverton's Prison database)  
Note: Part of Found_DNA also corresponds.  
Combining ID photos of both matches...   
Combination: Done.  
Comparing with Found_DNA's reconstitution...   
Physical match: 84,8%.  
Decision: Ask for relevant information.  
Connecting to CriminalMinds.org... Username: SophieMastermind.   
Password: undercovHer.  
Searching for information about two suspects...   
Found results: Got married soon after evasion. Resulted in possible offspring. (Source: SykesIsBoss78)  
Conclusion: Found_DNA corresponds to Scolex/Dr_Claw's genetic daughter.  
Information entering: Former Dr_Claw died of blood poisoning. Daughter became new Dr_Claw. (Source: RickNRoll23)  
Mission: Find and arrest Dr_Claw.  
Incoming message from SykesIsBoss78: "hey french belle any chance youre free tonight"  
Mission: Avoid any contact with informators.  
Reply: "No sorry, I have got many things to do. Like, stealing old people's money. Doing things adults do."  
Note: Change profile picture to a less charming one. 25-aged model isn't much of a good idea.  
Note: Sudden realization that Dr_Claw has probably slept with Uncle_Gadget.  
Current emotion: Puzzled.  
Scene reconstitution: In process.  
Scene reconstitution: Canceled. Reason: Inappropriate.  
Current emotion: Shocked.

Penny opened her eyes and let go of the book. There was no way that could be happening, no! There had to be an error somewhere in the calculation program...no, her uncle couldn't have been with the most evil person on this planet, and espcially not under the same roof as she was! It was impossible, but evidence couldn't lie. Brain was clear: he had seen the evil herself some days ago, engaging in casual conversation with Gadget.   
So they were friends afterall. Penny thought the worst yet had to happen, but only now did she realize her error.

\---

Claw slammed her fists on the table. Only now did she realize her error: she had forgotten her vocal collar at Gadget's place. She wanted to shout out her anger, but her burnt lips forbade any other sound than a slight, whistling breath. She was back to her first years of evil, as mute as a corpse, her girly voice blown away in the explosion. Face buried in her arms, she tried to sigh. 

"It could be worse.", Madcat purred. "At least no one saw you."

She punched the cat in the face, still trying. But the actual state of her vocal cords wouldn't allow her to produce sounds. Resigned, she gave up, giving her more need to sigh. What a day.

"Boss?"

She rose her head: another agent has arrived.

"Dr Kramer is waiting for you."

That piece of news made Claw forget about her problems; soon she would certainly get other ones.  
Being a patchwork of burnt flesh and prototype implants had its flaws. Twice a month, her father's ex-assistant would be called to check for any problems, and everytime there would be more of these.   
That wasn't the end of the world, but a permanent pre-apocalyptic situation.

"So, let's see this faulty eye.", Kramer said, entering Claw's office.

She sat on her throne, and let the mad doctor take off her face bandages, still with an expert care.

"Hmm. At least the infection has stopped."

She didn't complain while the disinfecting medecine was rubbed over her injured eye. Being stabbed by exploding, burning debris had damaged the nerves as well, preventing the pain, but has left her vision organ half-molten.   
To escape the shame of being seen without the bandages, she thought about her first months with only one eye left, clumsily walking and having a hard time adapting to the loss of perspective and depth notions, along with a part of her vision angle. What a pity.

"Most of it has deflated.", Kramer concluded. "But if it isn't taken out soon, the remains may infect what's left."

Claw pointed at her eye, then at her valid one, marking a transition, and rose her shoulders interrogatively. The man examinated the outbled dead eye for half a minute, and shook his head.

"That would be too dangerous. I don't have the skills nor the tools for that kind of surgery. You'd need to cut out part of your skull to sever the rotting nerves, and very few doctors can do that. What a mess."

Claw bit her lip nervously. Now that would be impossible to hope recovering someday. She pointed at her watch.

"Some months left before the tumor infects the blood. Then...it will be impossible to cure it."

Some months left to live. That was both so long, waiting for that day to happen, and so short, trying to find a way to escape her fate.   
Kramer put new bandages on her eye, cleaning out the blood, and proceeded to check the rest of her body. Her legs were about fine, but even walking everyday wouldn't stop the progression of the paralyzis. She had at least two weeks before her nerves would cease to function. As for her heart and lungs, they would keep functioning for some years, before needing to be replaced.  
When Kramer left, she asked him whether he could find another vocal synthetisor.

"That won't be free.", he had shrugged.

She slammed her fist on the table. Stupid Gadget and his warm arms! If that man didn't exist, she'd still have her family, her body, her fortune. She'd still be beautiful and lucky, and with her mastermind, she would have taken over the world! What a shame, what a shame!

"...", she shouted.

Claw sat on her throne, thinking about a new plan. Repairing her body would cost several millions. Where would she find that much money?  
Turning on her computer, logging in to Criminal Minds (Crime's #1 social network, 100% cop free!) she looked through several crime suggestions. Hmm, hold the Croatian archduke as an hostage? Why not. Ancient Irish stone? Sure. Steal from Riverton's State bank? Pass.  
Suddenly, she received a message. That startled her; no one knew her username. She hadn't any associates on this site, why and how did someone just...contacted her? Curious, she clicked on the Chat window.

\--SophieMastermind to DrClawOfficial - 22:47--  
Hello. I think I have something you may desire.

Followed a photo of...the vocal collar! That put Claw in a weird feeling of rage and incomprehension. How did it end here? Before she could ask anything else, she received another message.

Stay away from the Inspector. Else, you might get in serious troubles. I know more about you than you could ever imagine. Say hello to George and Wolfgang from me.

Claw rose her burnt eyebrow. How could that anonymous disturbance even know about the sole two men she held dear? On the moment, Claw didn't hold herself back.

\--DrClawOfficial to SophieMastermind - 22:51--  
You could think you're the only one skilled at this game? I have much more tricks up my claws as you would think. I don't know who you are, but make sure I will find you and get my voice back, you pathetic fool.

While typing with one hand, Claw launched a tracing program with the other. Soon there would be no doubt about the true identity of-  
Suddenly her screen showed a large red ERROR. The program has been stopped by some kind of invisibility software, something that had never happened before. For such thing to happen, that "Sophie" had to be a very skilled hacker.  
Claw grinned. She liked that challenge.  
Cracking her metallic fingers, she drummed on her keyboard.

\---

Sat at her desk, consulting several documents about ancient projects, a Derpy Hooves-printed coffee cup in hand, Dr Brenda Bradford would have traded her most skilled technology chips for a night worth of sleep. Never had the Gadget program been so repetitive, so boring. There was nothing to do as for the man's brain capacity, however. That would have been interesting to do, but she hadn't got the right to contact him anymore after the general failure of the latest Gadget project-related experiments. They all failed but one, forgotten since long, which manifested itself under the form of an alert on the doctor's screen.  
Brenda tossed the files aside, wondering what could be happening at such a late hour. No one could contact her anymore, as she nowadays used a private email adress. The notifications coming from several of her devices were turned off. But tonight, one of her most brillant success called itself back into acknowledgment.  
The Computer Book.  
As Dr Bradford read the automatically-sent message, shivers trailed down her spine. What she discovered was way beyond everything she could have ever imagined; a special program, put to sleep since its creation, had been activated by a separate device. And there wasn't any doubt about this device's identity.  
She smiled. After so many years, it was still here! Her most powerful mindset, that Gadget could have inherited if his neuronal connexions hadn't been severely damaged over and over.  
She grabbed her phone, and called the number she hadn't got the right to ever forget. Gadget had to be warned before the impossible happened. Who knows what a powerful military processor could do, when it was placed in a eight-years old's hands?   
At the end of the line, no one answered. Of course, what an asocial she was, believing people would answer an anonymous call at 11pm! Hesitantly, she left a message.

"Brenda Bradford talking. John, if you hear this, please call me as soon as possible. We have to talk about something very important. Penny is involved, but please...don't tell her anything yet.Thank you."

She hung up. Looking at the pony's carefree smile, she wondered what could happen next.  
The truth would have to stay concealed for another short while.


	4. Passing on the mask

Seeing the device's history, Penny's contact had made several failed attempts at hacking the Computer Book's identity. Good. Afterall, who could imagine a eight-years old, being behind all of this? That was the role of a child detective. And no one could ever find the truth.  
She checked her CriminalMinds account: another message.

\--DrClawOfficial to SophieMastermind at 02:35--  
Well, nice job you did at hiding yourself. But that won't be enough to stop me. Afterall, I know who you are as well. 

This message gave Penny a shiver. That was impossible! All of Claw's attempts to locate her have failed so far. In no way she could be found!  
But then, that was a trick. A simple trick, of course. Of course nobody could tell her identity. She has spent months building up the perfect identity, pretending to be a French professional burglar in high heels. She had given all the fake data needed, and by the time anyone would try to find her, they'd be arrested thanks to a complex strategy she put in place all by herself.  
Nah, no one could-

"How many cats does it take to find the liar?"

Penny jumped out of fear, the distorted voice coming right from behind her. She made a move to grab her Computer Book, but too late; the dark silhouette that had sneaked up the window, had already took it.

"Only one who's got some logic."

Penny found herself walking back from the shadowy being, until she got stuck in a corner of the room, the figure blocking her. She tried to scream or call for help, but for an unknown reason, her throat wouldn't obey.

"Afterall, who else but Penny Brown could have laid her hands on my voice? Certainly Gadget wouldn't have been bright enough to pull out such a plan."

Suddenly, the table light lit up, revealing a horrendous, bandaged face.

"D...Doctor Claw...", Penny stuttered, en proie to a sudden fear. 

"-Indeed."

She massaged her throat, where the collar had found its place.

"And you had something that belongs to me. It's only justice that I take it back."

Penny breathed in, and stared right at the scarily distorted visage.  
Comparing to Found_DNA's_Face...  
Match: 97,6% on exposed areas.

"Hey, stop it.", Claw hissed. "I'm not brutal enough to punch a kid, but if you keep doing the weird eyes, I'll-"

"-Stay away from uncle Gadget."

She stopped.

"Oh...and why for, tell me?"

"-I repeat: stay away from Uncle Gadget."

Claw looked at Penny, silent. But then, she chuckled.

"So you know, huh. Well, guess I did some noise last time. But well, that was a one-night."

She turned to the window, walking with pain, but Penny got in her way.

"Doctor Claw, you are under arrest.", she said in the most serious tone possible.

Claw's grin turned into a laughter.

"And what makes you think so? No one will ever believe a toddler. No one knows me. And that, sweetie, is where your plan fails."

She whistled, a loud sound that made Penny's ears close for a second. But when she opened her eyes, a dark and fast mass of fur and steel rushed on her, pushing her down, digging its cat claws in her back. Penny shouted of pain.

"By the way, I take this. Afterall, books are made to be borrowed."

When the weight of the cat disappeared, Claw had vanished.  
And so did the Computed Book.  
Mission: Retrieve Computer_Book.  
Set priority: Highest.

"Uncle Gadget!"

Penny rushed to her uncle's door, knowing he would be asleep, but willing to take the risk of waking him up. But then, as she found him talking on the phone, she had a loose second of reaction.

"P...Penny, why aren't you sleeping? It's almost 3am!"

"-Uncle Gadget...please, listen! I...I have seen...Doctor Claw was in my room, and she stole my book, and..."

Gadget patted her shoulders, reassuringly. 

"Come on, sweetheart. You can't be serious."

"-Yes I am! Why would I suddenly lie about something that grave?"

Note: Use feelings.  
Penny's face took a darker expression.

"You and Dr Claw are quite close, if I may say."

That took him off guard, as seen by the flickering light in his bionic eyes. Light that brightened up very slightly, but enough for Penny to notice.

"That's not your buisness, Penny. Now please, go back to slee-"

"-Tell me!"

She stepped back from her uncle's hands.

"Why don't you tell me the truth? Why don't you admit that you've been with her, that she has been there before? She had forgotten her voicebox here, and you knew it! You...you're attracted to her!"

"-Penny, stop this instant!", Gadget angered.

"-Do you know how dangerous this behavior can be? What if Chief Quimby or someone else hears about how the greatest police officer of Metroville is in love with a criminal genius?"

"-Penny, STOP! That's enough of this!"

Never she had ever seen her uncle actually angry...until this moment.

"Why do you keep questioning me so much? How even can you be able to do this? You haven't been programmed to play this detective game, and how could you even suspect such an attitude from me? Never I'd engage in such a dangerous and devious conduct!"

But Penny had stopped talking, or even listening. Her ears had caught only one word in all of this sentence.  
Slowly, she looked up to her uncle.

"Programmed?" 

Gadget backed, realizing his mistake.  
Penny tried to put the last pieces of the puzzle together, but suddenly her mind stopped to function for a second...then she blacked out.

\---

Claw parked the Madmobile so that it couldn't be seen from the giant house. After all these years, what could she find to say? It wasn't as if she could go all "hey dude, it's me, the one who took away your chances to get evil, but don't thank me for that"? Seriously, who could ever listen to her with such arguments?  
Yet that was her only plan.  
The gates have been left open. Madcat climbed on her shoulder as she walked to the entrance door. The stairs climbing up to the cliff seemed infinitely long, and at the same time desperately short. Her legs complained more than once, but her mind was the most troubled. She had to talk to him...but could she really do it? There wasn't any paperbag this time to cover her from the regards. She would have to face him no matter what.  
Once the painful ascension done, Claw sighed, took a deep breath, and rang the doorbell.  
The point of no return has been crossed. Now, she would have to face her choices, and suffer their consequences. But what if he didn't recognize her? Was she really the same after all these years? And not only about the face, but about the person she had become. Who could still recognize her behind her mask? Oh, what if-

"Maddison?"

Claw suddenly saw the open door, and the tall man holding the knob. She bit her lip nervously, not knowing what to say.

"H...hi George.", she stuttered. "Been a long time...right?"

She found herself suddenly cuddled by strong arms.

"Oh, Maddie, it's been so long indeed! Where have you been?"

Claw gasped of pain, her scars and broken bones waking under the hugging strenght of her elder brother, who acknowledged his mistake, apologized and invited her to enter.  
George never had been an average guy. His house reflected his personality: gigantic, messy, unsure where to put this or that, but ridiculously manly. Claw sat in front of a large screen, in a ridiculous chair that looked like hers back in time, Madcat on her knees, her brother in the oddly egg-shaped throne. They first expressed their happiness of seeing family after a long time, shared some news, about what had been going on while Claw was out there, being evil and all.

"What about our dear brother?", she asked. "Never seen you without him."

"-Sometimes, we have to part away from those we love and cherish. And dear Wolfie wasn't an exception."

"-Wowsers, did you have a twin brotherly break up or something? Little 'Gang was like a best friend to you."

"-Nope. He's just buried in snow right now. And worst is, it isn't my fault. But you're an auntie now: he's gotten a child, Billy or something."

At this moment, a fat, blue cat entered the room, to put his head on his master's knees. Maddison reached out to him, and gave him a scratch.

"Fluffy! It has been long. Hey, what do you feed him? He's heavy as hell."

"-Leftovers and punches. Little one's becoming strong. What's yours' up to?"

"-Don't talk shit about Madcat.", she said, petting her own feline. "She's way more cuddly than your pile of fur and fat."

"-You got that love of fuzzballs from Mommy's side."

Followed a discussion about whose cat was cuter, while the two pets nuzzled each other after a long separation.  
Finally, about a long debate and a cup of warm milk, Maddison Claw decided to go straight to the point.

"There's something I need, and I know you're the only one who can do it."

George Claw sipped from his cup, not saying anything, in his sarcastic ways. Little bitch knows how to hide his game, she thought.

"Come on, bro. That'll be your only chance to please Dad's memory."

He rose an eyebrow, interested. 

"Look.", she tried to summarize. "There are things going on in my life, really complicated, that I can't do as an evil mastermind, so...would you like to be the new Dr Claw?"

He almost choked on his cow juice. Maddie remembered as well, how shocked she was after her father had asked her the same question. Some coughings later, George glared at his sister, not believing anything of it, but grinning ironically.

"...I? The Doctor Claw itself? Whoah, it's...well, unexpected!"

"-Stop with the sarcasm already. I told you, I'm tired from it all. Of course, I have promised to run M.A.D and to kill Gadget..."

Everyone shivered of disgust at the name.

"...but I've never been told I couldn't take a break from time to time. I have a life as well, outside of being a bad girl. And you were so jealous when Daddy asked me rather than you or bro to be his successor. It's temporary, but it's a win-win, right?"

He seemed to hesitate.

"Why would you abdicate so suddenly?", he questioned.

"-I have no intention of abdicating! Just...I have some serious health problems, as you can guess. I don't have any successors, and you're my only family."

Seeing he didn't react, she added:

"Plus, it's been almost eight years that M.A.D is run Dad's way. What about some new blood? We would need your expertise about crimes and all sorts of stupid plans. You were the best of us three when we were little, even if Dad wanted someone serious and strategical. But now's your chance to prove you're worth! It wouldn't cost you for trying, right?"

He scratched the back of his head with his ridiculously sharp golden claws. Apparently, an old pair of Mom's.

"I dunno. Why would you ask me that? I may have done mischiefs here and there, but I don't know anything about ruling a worldwide criminal empire. Why don't you ask one of your henchmen?"

"-Because despite everything you may think about me, I have the sense of family. I would never let you down, _ever._ "

She insisted on that word, as to remind George he hadn't been there when she had the accident. But he didn't noticed her tone (as if tones were even possible with a synthetisor), and kept petting his cat. A minute of reflexion passed.

"Doctor Claw.", he finally spoke. "A whole criminal empire, built on Dad's fortune, thousands of millions of people soon under my command, Wolfgang out of my way...and the chance to eradicate our enemy..."

He grinned.

"Well, if that's for your well-being...I'm glad to accept. But only because you're my favorite little sister."

"-Come on, don't hide your joy. I know you've been raving my place for years."

Maddison smiled, as Dr Claw stood up, an expression of pride on his face. Opening a wardrobe, he took a black and gold vest, and put it on with an unhidden satisfaction.

"You look fabulous.", Maddie said.

"-Too bad no one will ever see it."

He whistled. Fluffy (now rather known as Madcat) walked to his master, completing the portrait of the cliche cartoon vilain. Maddison joked about how he could make it even better with some fake muscles, but Claw seemed not to get it.  
When she departed tonight, after a long discussion about bad guys' daily routine, some video games played and a fight over whose cat was the cutest, she felt a weight on her heart being lifted away.  
Now, second part of the plan. Stopping the car on the roadside, she pressed some buttons on the car's dashboard.

"And yet I forgot to brush my hair.", she chuckled sarcastically. "But that'd make it even better."

Maddie blew some dust off a tiny camera, and placed it as so it would get her best profile. The radiotransmission was working.  
Triggering some more commands, she put pedal to the metal. Once the Madmobile reached a fast enough pace, she started to record.

"Hello there, citizens of Metroville. This is Doctor Claw speaking, for the first and last time without any masking trick. I have a bomb in my trunk, and I'm driving right towards the hospital. If you want to avoid this terrible ending, you'd better catch me fast."

She looked right into the red light.

"Get it on, Gadget. Find me if you can."

Aaand...cut. Flawless as usual.  
She sent the video to the police's computers and the medias' headquarters, hoping they would broadcast it soon enough.  
Her plan hadn't got the right to fail.


	5. Her last vow

When he had received that phonecall, he could not believe a single word of it. Penny, having discovered her true nature? That was nonsense. She has been made to survive a long time, with a periodical erasure of her autobiographic memory. She would forget one year of her past at her birthday, and never truly reach nine years old. But her experience and knowledge would stay, and help her with life. At first, he had known the consequences of Penny going on missions with him, and acted as the caring uncle who wanted her to stay away. But Dr Bradford has been clear during her phonecall: she had to use her energy overflow by doing the child detective. Her artificial intelligence taking too much RAM, it has been put into the Computer Book, which she would use to drain her power and grant her supernatural abilities to.  
But now, she would have to know the truth.  
Gadget sat on his bed, hanging up the phone, face in his hands. Half an hour later, Dr Bradford's crew was here. They took Penny away, saying she needed repairs and that he'll see her soon after.  
Deep inside his cyborg heart, Gadget knew he would never see his niece anymore, at least not in the state of childish self-ignorance she grew in over the past twenty years.  
She would be aware. And there, troubles would begin.  
Suddenly, his Gadgetphone rang. On the other end, Quimby was urging Gadget to take a peek on the police's private TV channel. Curious, he turned it on...and saw Claw's face.

\---

The car was hissing like maniac on the deserted highway. Holding the wheel with a painful grip, Maddison Claw did not even bothered looking at the road, knowing that the few other drivers would be insane to keep their pace towards her. What a damn situation she was in! If only this would have ended quickly, instead of torturing her over for so long... Eight years since M.A.D's creation, and four since the accident, but twenty years since it all began. Twenty years she had existed. Twenty years since her beloved father, Sandford Scolex, the first Dr Claw ever, had started to reconquer his lost fortune and empire...and since Gadget had begun chasing him down, with the help of his smarty-pants of a niece.  
By the way, how come she was still looking like a eight-years old? There had to be some trick under it. On that moment, Maddison wished she could use whatever eternal youth spell the little Penny had in her sleeve. That would save her from lots of corporal troubles.  
The sound of sudden grinding of the Madmobile's front reactor against the highway's steel border, along with the metal sparkles that resulted from the contact, brought her back to reality. She couldn't blame a simple road accident on her demise! Not for a plan she had prepared for so long already. It maybe was cruel, stupid and selfish, but here would go all of her life. George would run the buisness back home. Her henchmen would forget about her in no time. This fuzzball of a cat she had always brought with her would disappear along with her. And soon, no one would remember her very existence, even not Gadget.  
It was a suicide mission, and she knew it. Her last message has been for him, but would he ever get it? What if his hybrid brains mess up again? Would he ever think about her, or would Maddison Claw be a waste of the past? On the moment, she thought she had, at least, revealed her true visage to the world. But would that save her from complete oblivion? And what if Gadget decided to simply forget about her, even with his full mental capacity? This thought made her cringe.  
She shook her head, suddenly. No, he wouldn't dare forgetting the one he had chased for so long! The one who tortured his mind and tested his skills for years, the one who more than once threatened him...the one who loved him!  
She would be ready to swear it aloud, now. She loved him. He had brought as much in her life as she had brought in his', even if she would never admit it. But all of their love story, as short as it had been, had changer her whole world for good. And, in this regard, she was thankful to him.  
The blue and red lights, along with the police sirens and the engine rumblings, were dangerously close now. It was now or never, she thought. Madcat was sleeping on her paralyzed knees, but that didn't stop her from putting pedal to the metal, while strumming on the dashboard. This time, this communication was for a private line. Breathing with pain, Maddison pressed the "Call" button.

"Don't leave me now, you idiot..."

She pushed the lever, and the speed needle tickled the 120mph. The highway became a blurred trail of lights and yellow crosslines, as her only eye focused on the horizon.

"Not when I need you the most!"

\---

When Penny woke up, her first reflex was to check her vital functions.   
_Analysis in process...  
Analysis: Done.  
Status: Running 94% of total power._  
She blinked with pain, trying to sit up, but something held her back. A twist of the head informed her that her limbs were strapped to what seemed to be an operation table.  
 _Current emotion: Puzzled.  
Note: Engage procedure._  
She tried to free one of her arms, but the leather bands were too tight on her wrists. Looking around, trying to call for help, she noticed her throat was sort of blocked, as if she was about to cry.   
_Analysis in process...  
Analysis: Done.  
Status: No presence of voice system.  
Current emotion: Panicked._  
These messages seemed to process right through her head in less than a millisecond, as of subliminally read text, or written thoughts. Curiously, it seemed...natural. The same as when she was using her Computer Book.  
 _Error: Second_device:_Computer_Book not found._  
Wait, what? How could that be possible?  
 _Searching for memories...  
Memories found.  
Replay: 02/24 - 02:39am_  
She saw it in her mind. Dr Claw intruding in her room, taking her Book away with him...or her, as it seemed.   
_Attempting connection with Second_device..._  
Suddenly, next to Penny, a voice resonated.

"Hello, my dear. Did you sleep well?"

_Scanning of vocal track in progress...  
Scanning: Done.  
Female adult voice. American accent.  
Searching for local database match..._

"I'm sorry I had to tie you up this way, but your movements were getting dangerous. Your vocal system was also broken, so I went to fetch some spare parts. Pardon me for not having it all explained to you, but you can see that you weren't easy to discuss with."

Her face suddenly came into the weak light surrounding the table. 

"Do you recognize me, Penny?"

_Scanning of facial structure in process...  
Scan: Done.  
Searching for local database match...  
Status of previous search: Match found.  
Note: Vocal and visual matches are identical. Identity confirmed.  
Match found: Dr Brenda Bradford.  
Note: Age difference applied._

"I see on my screens that your local memory database is still operational, as I suspected. Very well."

Brenda pressed some buttons on the control panel, and the operating table slightly rotated, bringing Penny's head at a better angle. Then, she glanced at Penny's neck, with a medical consideration.

"You had broken some other parts in the past, but this one here is a record. Apparently, your servos had locked up quite badly. Give me a minute, and you'll be able to talk again."

She went to a nearby toolbox, and opened it, revealing...a screwdriver?

"It might seem bizarre, but if you don't move, it will be over sooner than you think."

And then, she approached it from Penny's face.  
 _Current emotion: Panicked.  
Warning: Danger! Danger!_  
But even when the metal touched her skin, she didn't feel it. Some sparks emitted from her neck as Dr Bradford tweakened various chips and pieces of metal...that _came out of her flesh._  
But suddenly, the sparks ceased.   
_Analysis in process...  
Analysis: Done.  
Status: Running at 100% power.  
System is now completely operational._  
She blinked. Once, twice, thrice. Then, her eyes looked at Brenda, who grinned.

"Now, try to talk."

Penny shook her face, slightly, and with a minimal effort, managed to emit some words.

"What the..."

Her voice seemed a trifle older girl's. Wondering what was happening, she emitted some other thoughts.

"Where am I?"

"-In the former laboratory dedicated to the Gadget Project."

A button pressure later, lights lit up around the vast room. Screens, monitors and various devices and robot parts were surrounding the table Penny was lying on. She did recognize it easily, despite all the time that had passed.  
 _Error: Temporal discordance._

"Is...this..."

"-Yes. You're in the same laboratory where your uncle had received his gadgets, and G2 had received existence."

At the mention of G2, Penny suddenly had a flash. She started to twitch, en proie to sudden visions and intempestive electrical stimuli. Brenda, seeing her error, quickly went to press another button, and Penny calmed down.

"I shouldn't have said that. Please...forget it."

But it was too late. During her epilepsy-like crisis, Penny had been suddenly confronted to more controversial revelations. Slowly, she turned her head around, in a 90° angle that would have left her neckline broken, considering the position she was in.

"Don't bother hiding it all."

And, raising her arms with a foreign strenght, she broke the leather straps, sitting up and facing the doctor. Brenda went to toggle some commands, but Penny got quicker, and barred her way. 

"It was you, all along! You...you made me this way!"

"-I...I never intended to-"

"-Tell me!"

Her eyes sparked out.  
 _Current emotion: Angered.  
Warning: Must release pressure._  
Suddenly, without any more words, she slammed her fist onto the operating table, which broke into pieces.  
 _Status: 74% of pressure released. Running at 89% power._  
She had scorched her hand in the process, but no blood was coming out. Instead, a chrome grey structure revealed from beneath the skin-like leather covering it.  
Dr Bradford went to check the wound, but Penny drew back her hand.

"Don't touch me."

This time, there was no more anger in her voice.  
Only fear.

"Penny...please calm down. You're harming yourself."

She took Penny in her arms, as one hugs a hurt child...which she was. Slowly, she made her sit on her deskchair, and attempted to unscrew her hand.

"Do you remember the accident? The one with Dr Scolex, almost twenty years ago, in Riverton?", she asked to the girl.

Penny nodded. Scolex running away, the board she had been tied up to, and...the explosion.

"At first you have seemed unharmed, but...it was way deeper that damage had been inflicted. You were dying...and your uncle couldn't stand the fear of losing you."

Penny looked at her cut-off hand, that lacked any blood or bone, being the object of Brenda's repairs. For some reason, she didn't feel any disgust nor pain.

"But there wasn't enough time to build another robotic body, so...G2 sacrificed herself to help you. She gave you most of her parts and processors. Your deduction and physical skills come from her memory."

Finally, she declared the hand repaired enough, and fixed it back on the girl's arm. Once it was firmly attached, Penny moved her fingers, twisted her wrist: it was working again, and the scorched parts of skin had been replaced.

"Of course, giving you gadgets would have been too dangerous, so I created the Computer Book for you."

At these words, the girl jolted out. The Book! Her mind replayed over and over the samples of Claw's voice, her facial scan, trying desperately to find a signal that could connect her to the device. Seeing her sudden twitching that would start again, Brenda put her hands on Penny's shoulders to calm her down.

"It's okay. It won't last for long."

Once again, Penny glared right into the doctor's eyes. Her azure irises were revealing a bright LED light, that used to be concealed by some mechanism.

"I need to find Dr Claw. She has got the Computer Book!"

Brenda didn't seem to understand.

"But...how? And who is that she?"

"-It's...I mean, Dr Scolex's daughter is the current Dr Claw."

The doctor's face showed a puzzled expression.

"He has got a daughter? Time flies so fast..."

At the word of "time", Penny stopped, and glanced down at her hand. Something...something was wrong. All of these events had happened so long ago, and yet she was remembering it all...but how come she hadn't changed at all? Twenty years wouldn't have let her in this childish appearance...  
Yet again, the answer was simple.  
Robots didn't age. 

"Uncle Gadget is in danger.", she finally said. "He has a crush over her, and it might lead him to the worst!"

Brenda almost choked.

"He has WHAT!?" 

Strumming on her keyboard, meddling with her notes, she put on a serious and worried expression.

"This is bad...oh no, this is so bad! His circuits always got malfunctioning whenever some nice-looking person was involved!"

"-But especially, we need to find Claw and retrieve my Book!"

"-Also."

Penny looked around the lab, and glanced down at her hands. There had...there had to be something that could help her! On her fingers, microscopic outlets were present. They were made to be connected to the Computer Book. Both of them were machines made to be linked together.  
Suddenly, she rushed to Brenda's computer, and plugged her right ringfinger into the USB port.

"What are you doing?", the doctor asked.

"-If Claw has my Book, I'll need to find it so we can find her!"

 _Connecting to local database...  
Initialisation of search program in process...  
Searching for Second_device..._  
The whole world opened to Penny. Police databases, radio frequencies, local and distant signals, electrical wavelenghts, shared files, they all came to her. On the moment, it felt as if her head was going to explode under all of the new sensations brought to her by the sudden connection.   
_Searching..._  
The frequency emitted by the Computer Book was unique in its kind. With some skills, anyone can use it for whatever existing purpose they wish.  
But if one of a mechanical complexion used it at full power, the resulting weapon would never be controlled.  
 _Match found.  
Connecting to Second_Device..._  
She emitted a call in her head, as of a phone trying to find a Wi-Fi spot, and attempted to connect to the Book.   
She had to stop Claw. The rest could wait.   
She pinpointed it with many difficulties, entered the passwords, and managed not to lose track of the device's IP. Great. With all of her might, she obtained a sufficient signal force, and thrusted her mind into it.  
A green light lit up in her head. She was connected.  
But her mind had caught a radio signal in the process. Curious, she looked at it, and decrypted the transmission.

"Hello there, citizens of Metroville. This is Doctor Claw speaking, for the first and last time without any masking trick."

\---

The book had kept buzzing and vibrating for the past minutes, but now it was just weird. It was as if it had decided to turn into a mobile phone for its last minutes of existence...a phone someone was calling. No, wait, that was so silly. Who could want to call her, as she was about to commit the worst error of her life?  
Afterall, Maddison was already in a state of trouble by driving this fast. Having a phone call right now wouldn't chase these cops away, so why bother?   
Still...that was intriguing her. She opened the book, and hesitantely pressed a button. A teen's voice talked.

"First device to Second device, do you receive?"

Who could that be? Certainly Penny wasn't that old. And what was that "second device"? Pressing another key, Maddie activated visuals.   
To her greatest surprise, it was the blonde toddler.

"First device to Second device, do you receive?"

Her eyes were...glowing? There was the same light as in Gadget's eyes, albeit in blue. She didn't see the former Claw, as she was blinking around all the while. 

"First device to secon-"

"-Quit it already, you scamp!"

She couldn't have helped it. But that buzzing voice was getting so annoying...

"Maddison Claw speaking. I have no intention of surrendering, and no will to give you back this device. You have done too much already to interfere with me!"

The highway was piercing through a forest of large trees, going so for several miles. The lights and sounds of the police cars were growing closer and closer as Maddie stamped the pedal, without even turning to Airplane mode.   
But then, the face of a tall brune appeared on the screen. Maddie nearly choked as she recognized her: she had grown old, but still, she was the same as on her father's photos.

"Y...you...!"

"-Yes, it's me, Maddison. And we need to have a serious talk."

No... No way this was happening! In her difficult driving haste, Maddie had troubles pressing the right keys to shut the call. Her breathing was getting hard, and her vision was blurrying. She noticed with pure fear that her legs wouldn't move anymore, foot stuck on the acceleration pedal. The definitive paralysis has happened at last.

"We need to get you to calm down. I have seen your transmission, and I wanted to warn you! What do you think you're doing? What is your plan?"

Maddie didn't reply, too busy trying to see.

"Would your father have been happy with what you are doing?"

She tried to slam her fist on the dashboard, but her limbs wouldn't obey anymore.

"Don't...talk about my father..."

"-Maddison! You need to stop!"

"-You need to DIE!"

She looked at the book. Now or never.

"Listen, Penny...", she said between two coughs. "I have very few time left, and I can't stay longer. But...I never had wanted this."

She had a last glance at the road in front of her, a blurry mass of trees and yellow lines, disformed by the speed of the ride.

"If you see your uncle...tell him that I tried. I had...wanted, at one point, to stop being evil so I could be with him...but evil doesn't forgive."

She coughed her lungs out, her head aching.

"But...it's for the best. What kind of girlfriend would I have been, with my...diseases?"

She looked right into the book's camera, and did her best to put on a smile.

"Goodbye, Penny. Goodbye too..."

She let her head fall back. Her breathing was a mess, her implants having ceased to work with all of that adrenaline-filled stress blood. But that didn't stop her from having a last breath, filled with regret.

"...Gadget."

Madcat climbed on her knees, and she wrapped a lazy arm around her, bringing her to her heart.Smiling, she grabbed the wheel, and turned it 180°.  
The speed, her fragile body and the tree in front of her cared for the rest.

\---

The transmission, the signal and the connexion were all brutally cut at once. A millisecond later, a flash of frequency distortion hit Penny with the strenght of a raging bull. Her heavy body hit the ground, all of her lights blinking and flickering in her head.  
Brenda shut the system down, and Penny's emergency levels stopped. The doctor sighed of relief, seeing she wasn't hurt much. 

"Poor child..."

She brought her to the hastly-rebuilt operation table, and opened her central unity panels. 

"The second device being destroyed...you won't need the connection system anymore. Also, I'd need to erase it from your memory."

She then noticed the robot parts laying on the other side of the lab. On the moment, that gave her an idea.

"Also...I think you'd like to grow up a little."

\---

Since this day, many things have changed. Some years after Maddison Scolex's disappearance, her brother, George Claw, has revealed himself to the world. The standard police forces being too busy, a special cell has been created to find him: the W.O.M.P. And Gadget, after a short memory erasure, has been willing to join it. He had wanted to forget everything about her, and his guilt as well. The attempts to upgrade her AI had yet to prove their results.   
Penny has received a new body, and her mental age has been brought to twelve years old. Erasing the fact she was a robot from her mind wouldn't have changed anything about her behavior. Her connection systems have been replaced with the ability to build other self-animated machines. Given her old parts, she was currently working on what she was calling the "D&F Project".  
Brain has been placed into a retirement home for talented animal partners, to recover from post-Gadget trauma. Penny often gives him a visit from time to time, even if she's still not at ease with her new appearance.  
Brenda has definitely given up on the Gadget project, and has retired from the scientific world. Penng hadn't seen her since.

"And as for Maddison?", Penny asked herself one day.

No one has ever found her, alive or dead. She had...vanished. Did her body let her enough life to run away? Had she been crushed inside of the Madmobile? Madcat was missing as well.  
Some say she's still alive, waiting for an occasion to present itself. She'll come back someday, and would take her revenge. Her past flaws have been forgotten as much as her very name, but as everyone was too focused on the present enemy's claws to remember her, there was no way she wouldn't try to end Gadget by herself again. Even if she disappears again, it won't be for long. Never.   
Afterall, haven't cats got nine lives?


End file.
